Women negotiating salaries- how persuasive are they?

Most women usually don’t ask for a raise, and those who do are mostly not very successful at negotiating. Linda C. Babcock in her book, “Women don’t ask for it” points out some common traits most women share when it comes to negotiating.

Around one fifth of the studied adult women stated that they had never negotiated. She also pointed out that 30% of these women, who do ask for a raise often demand 30% less of what their male colleagues demand. Babcock interestingly reveals that when women were asked how they felt about engaging in negotiation, they said it was like “going to the dentist”; whereas for most men it was like “winning a ball game.”

Linda points out that less women get a raise because as compared to men, fewer women ask for it. What is worse is that when asked, both men and women said that they wouldn’t hire a woman who would aggressively negotiate her salary.  There are however, certain ways in which women can effectively work their way around this.

Women just wanna have funds>

According to Women on Business, women lawyers are mostly unaffected by this gender bias. It reports that women lawyers are usually assumed to be assertive and argumentative. Interestingly, being lawyers, women argument for others or on their behalf, this is again puts them in the “nurturing” stereotype. And may be because of this, both male and female lawyers report that their feelings regarding negotiations are usually the same.

If the lawyers can make it work, so can the other women by keeping a few things in mind. Smiling, according to Mary Sue Coleman, president of the University of Michigan- helps women succeed in negotiations. You should also try and justify yourself by backing up your request. Talking on behalf of a team than just yourself would also help you.

ORIGINAL SOURCE: Women on Business

http://www.womenonbusiness.com/asking-money-win-scenario-women/